Rod-packing for rock-drills.



PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908.

No. 890,808s

W. L; SMITH.

R01) PACKING POR ROCK DRILLS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8,1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

"Fig, a.

dma-Mlm ./lfmmw/ /7 /M @tummy 310,890,808. PACL'BNTED` JUNE 16, 190s.

' L. SMITH.

ROD PACKING PoR ROCK DRILLS.

OTION FILED JUNE 8, 1906.

' ferent lormfrom that shown in citizen of the United k.yielding or WILLIAM L. SMITH, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY

MEsN-E ASSIGNMENTS, To rFHF.

JEFFREY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, ACORPORAIIGN OF OHIO.

ROD-PACKIN G FOR ROCK-DRILLS.

Spelcicaton of Letters Patent. i

Patented June 16, 1908.

Application sied June 8, 190s. serai no. 320,815.

To all whom it may concern.' v Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. SMITH, a

States, residing at C0- lurnbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rod-Packing for Rock- Drills and Like lowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention has for its object toproduce an improved rod packing, and is resigned especially lfor use in connection with rock drills of thereciprocating type, though it is not limited in its useful applications to coinbination with apparatus of this type.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a rod packing embodying my improvements, applied to the front end of a rock drill. F ig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken online 3, 3, of Fig. 1'. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 4., 4, of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents in elevation and in plan, one of the springs 5, shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a spring of dif- I ig. 5. Fig. 7 1s an elevation representing the spring shown in Fig. 6, combined with the parts with which it is immediately associated. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a rock drill emodying my improved construction.

n the drawings, A represents the cylinder 'ol' the drill, and B the reciprocating rod mounted therein, arranged at its forward end to carry the drill tool. It is understood that these parts may be oly any usual or approved construction, being here represented merely for the purpose of a better understanding of the invention. The drill-rod should be provided, as usual, with a' piston on which the motor fluid acts, and which causes its rapid reciprocations.

To the front end of the cylinder is secured the front head-piece 11, which is connected therewith by bolts 1 and 2. I prefer that springs 12 and 13 should beinterposed between the heads ol these bolts and the lugs of. the head-piece through which the bolts pass, .in order that it be held in plac'e with a spring pressure. Into the opening at the 'front end of the cylinder A is in- Apparatus, of which the fol-A serted a closure in the form of a plugor head washer 3, this being preferably formed of two similar partsA to facilitatev its application to the rod B, which is usually expanded or enlarged near either end, making it possible to slide the washer or plug 3 onto the rod from the end. The plug or Washer 8 is rovided with a central aperture 15', througlli which the rod B passes, the diameter of this aperture 'being slightly greater than that of the the sprin@r .surface of the headrod, for a pur ose that will be described. Theplug 'is ra beted or shouldered, as indicated at 17, so as to t tightly the end of the cylinder A. Its outer face is counterbored or recessed to constitute a seat 14 for 5. The front head-piece 1l is formed with a central longitudinal bore 18, through which the rod B asses, an'd'which is considerably larger in i iameter than the rod. The outer end of this bore or opening is closed by a gland which preferably comprises two segmental pieces 8,- shaped to closely fit the rod B, and also the interior iece l1. The gland pieces S are formed with notches 9, in which are seated retaining pins 10 that arefmounted in suitable seats or bearings in the headpiece 11. These pins maintain the gland in position, preventing. it from both longitudinal and rotary movements.

The space surrounding the rod B and between the inner end of the gland vand the end of the bore 18 is :filled with packing 7, a compressible fibrous packing being suitable for this urpose, and such being represented in the rawings. The inner may he inclined, the end section of the packing correspondingly shaped to lit-against suchl inclined face or end, il found desirable. A spring 5, which may be formed of two counterpart sections, as indicated in Fig. 5, to facilitate its application to the rod B when constructed as described, is interposed between the plug or washer 3 and the packing 7, its inner end being seated in the recess or counterbore lll. The inner end of the head-piece 1l is bored out to :lit closely over the plug or washer 3. y."

With this description ofparts, the manner' of applying and using my invention may be end of the gland! as represented at 19, and

understood. 1r the rods 1 and 2 be loosened, the front head-piece 11 maybe slipped along the rod B sufficiently far to open the space 18 and allow the placing of the packing 7 from the inner end or side ot the said head-piece, it being unnecessary to remove or disturb the 0rland 8 for this purpose.' After the packing has been placed the parts are brought to the position re resented in Fig. 1. The screw-rods 1 an 2 are then tightened, compressing the springs 12 and 13, and forcing the head-piece 11 toward the end. of the cylinder A, taking up the space between these parte, indicated at 16. This compresses the spring 5 and puts the packing undera desirable degree of tension or pressure. When the drill is in o eration, it 1s necessary that the rod B shou d be tightly packed upon its backstroke only, for then the motor fluid enters through the ortlfl and is acting against that face of t e piston which is toward the front end of the cylinder. On the other stroke of the rod, when there is no pressure of the motor fluid upon the side. toward the ackin 7, it is not necessary that the latter s ould e under severe compression, and indeed it is better that it should not be. The tension of the spring 5 is only sur"- ilcient to properly hold the packinv in place and maintain it on the forward stro res of the rod. When the motor fluid is admitted throu h the port 4, it not only enters and iills tie cylinder chamber, but also lows through the annular passage 15 in the washer or'plug 3, surrounding the piston rod B, and enters the chamber 6 in the front head?- piece 11, where it acts directly upon the pack? lng, compressing it.

t will be understood that it would be une'x necessary to divide the plug 3 and the gland 8 if the rod was so formed that an integral plug or land might lie-slipped into place over the en ot the rod.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I have represented a .dif ferent form of spring from that shown in Figs. 1 and 5. Here, instead of each section of the spring bein7 of a single piece, it is formed yof' a plura ity of spiral springs 5', connected at their opposite ends by seg mental plates 21, the upper plate resting in the recess 14 and the lower against the packring 7, or should it be preferred, against a follower that isl arranged to rest upon the -inner section of the packing. From this it will be seen that thel construction and arxvrangement of the spring 5 is subject to vav:riation and modification.

It has heretofore been customary in pro- ',viding for the packing of piston rods to so construct and arrange the cooperating parts as to make it necessary to insert the packing @from the front or outer end, and to have it restuagainst a fixed bearin0r or abutment at its-innerend, the'packing being unyielding,

season except for its own elasticity. This arrangement of packing is subject to certain-serious objections when applied to the reciprocating rod of a rock drill. lf too much packing be inserted. into the head 11 the gland S is forced so lar out that there is danger of the 'fillet 17, "0 which is usually formed, upon the rod near its outer end, striking the gland and break- .ing it or the head-piece 11, or both. Again,

the severe shocks and jarsto which a rock drill is subjected when in operation is liable to loosen the gland and cause it to work forward, with the disastrous results just stated. These objections are entirely overcome by the arrangement I have devised and herein. described, wherein the gland 8 is fixed in position at all times, and the packing is put in plac from the rear and is held in )ositiou by a spring or equivalent device. he spring operates to advantage not only as a means for compressing the packing, but also constitutes a yielding abutment or support for the washer or. lug 3, allowing the latter te yield should it e struck by the piston on its forward movement, thus reducing wear upon the drill-by reventing toose. severe and disastrous shoe s which result from the piston striking'the closingend of the cylinder. The advantages incident to utilizing the motor fluid for compressing the packing on the backward stroke of the piston and its rod have already been pointed out. By thus utilizing the motor fluid a relatively light spring 5 can be employed. i

. What I claim is 1. In combination, a cylinder, arod movable therein and projecting through the end thereof, a head-piece secured to said cylinder end-and surrounding the rod, a remov-H able gland rigidly secured against longitudinal movement in the outer end of the headpiece, a packin" for the rod insertible into the head-piece through the inner end thereof, a s ring abutment carried by the cylinder, an( a sprinU interposed between the abutment and the pac ing, said packing being ex osed to the fluid pressure within the cylin( er.

2. The combination with the c linder and a rod movable therein and exten ing beyond one end thereof, of a head-piece secured to the/115 g vinsertible into the head-piece from its inner end `without removing the head-piece from the rofl, a packing gland in the outer end of the head-piece, and the retaining pins for 1'=ldir1g the gland rigidly against longitudinal 'anal rotary movements.

4. En a. rod aoking, the Combination of box, the gend, the acking, a. sprin nient, and between t e abutment ang cking a plurality of springs each in arcuate spirals.

l in presence of two witnesses. A WILLIAM L. SMITH. Witnesses:

S. J. WHITE, H. S. RANsoM.

form and consisting of a series of reversed In testimony whereof I affix my signature, 

